Boo!
There's a mention of Cruxis in this chapter, so if you thought there were already spoilers, here come MORE! Mwahahahaha!
Disclaimer: Despite efforts, ToS remains Namco's and I make no money off this, yadda yadda yadda
A big thanks to all my reviewers, especially freakyanimegal465, The Sage of Spirits, Tanali and Nightfoot, who have reviewed most if not all of the chapters! You guys are awesome and you can have... A Kratos ^^
Keep reviewing, guys, you inspire me to write more ^^ And hints, suggestions, constructive critiscism etc. is always welcome.
Without further ado...
Chapter five: Nightmare
"Ugh… What have I done?" Forcystus lamented, head in his hands. "I'd built up his trust, but now… If he ever even decides to trust me even slightly again, I'll have to start from the beginning…"
"What, sir, because you had him beaten?" Roy asked. "You did it before." Forcystus shook his head.
"No… I got angry with him," he replied. "That boy tries the very limits of my patience!" Roy chuckled softly.
"Because he's an Aurion, sir," he replied. Forcystus laughed softly, too.
"Yes… Most likely," he replied. "He's pure trouble. Too clever in his own way." He sighed. "I've completely shattered whatever trust or respect he had for me now. I expect it was only minimal to begin with, but at least it was there…" Roy hmmed.
"Lord Forcystus…" He started. Forcystus looked up at him. "That human… He's different, you know that. Even if he is Lord Aurion's boy, he is not Lord Aurion. He will trust you, in time, if it is what you wish. Remember he is still a child at heart. You will have to be… Patient." Forcystus shook his head slightly.
"Or screw up again," he murmured. "Lord Aurion is lucky he asked me, and Lloyd doesn't appreciate just how lucky his is. Maybe it's time I showed him." He stood up. "Nothing like a tour of a Ranch to put a human's thoughts in perspective." Roy looked uncertain.
"Are you sure that's… Entirely wise, sir? It might stir up rebellion." Forcystus made his favourite noise.
"Tch. How are they to know he's human? He may as well be another Desian for all they know," he replied, turning to go.
"I meant… How injured he is… Sir…" Roy murmured to thin air. "Never listens, does he…?"
"Lloyd!" The boy didn't even look up at the sound of Forcystus' voice. He didn't want to. It hurt too much.
Is he going to have me beaten again…? He wondered, shivering in fear. It hurts so much…
"Lloy- Lloyd!" There was a genuine tone of worry in the Desian's voice, and Lloyd looked up slightly as the door was opened.
"Lo…Rd…Forc…Ystus…" He managed.
"Gah, idiots! A few simple rules, are they too hard to follow?" Forcystus murmured, turning Lloyd onto his back. Lloyd whimpered at the pain. "No magic, I said! No breaking anything, I said! Idiots, every one of them!"
"…You're… Not angry…?" Lloyd asked quietly. Forcystus cursed colourfully.
"No, not any more. I lost my temper, I'm sorry. I hate being called… That word. Healing Wind." Lloyd made a soft noise as gentle winds flowed over his body, and energy seeped into him. It felt better.
"I thought… I'd… Screwed up… Badly…" Lloyd murmured, watching the look of concentration on Forcystus' face. "I got… Angry… Too… I'm sorry…" Forcystus' look flickered slightly to sadness, and Lloyd smiled slightly. He had been right.
"Don't be stupid," he muttered. "Don't apologise to me. I'm a Desian, remember? You hate me and everything I stand for." The sad look was already gone, replaced with concentration once more. Lloyd sat up slightly, his body no longer feeling broken.
"Desian…" Lloyd repeated, still watching Forcystus, who was concentrating too hard to even notice. "Why do you hate being called inferior?" Forcystus twitched at the word, his concentration faltering slightly.
"…It reminds me of what I was," he murmured. "Ah… That better?" Lloyd nodded slightly.
"Well… I don't feel like I'd rather die," he murmured. "Um… Thank you, Lord Forcystus." Forcystus made an angry noise.
"I promise you, some people will be being painfully demoted," he growled. Lloyd winced. "It's their own fault. I gave explicit instructions. You are not like the other prisoners, Lloyd. I told you. You're special." Lloyd frowned.
"Why?" He asked. Forcystus sighed, shaking his head.
You had to go and ask the hardest question, didn't you…? He thought ruefully. "That's… Complicated. I doubt you'll believe me even if I tell you. You're like that," he settled for. Lloyd looked dissatisfied, but there wasn't much he could do about that.
"Why did you come here?" He asked. "…Lord Forcystus." Forcystus looked at him, his look indecipherable.
"I still don't know if you mean that," he murmured. "I, Lloyd, am going to take you round the Ranch." Lloyd backed off slightly. "Everywhere. If you're being held here, you'll get to know it. I trust you can walk now?" Lloyd nodded uncertainly, standing, then smiling and nodding more confidently. Forcystus nodded. "Good. You'll be doing a lot of it. Follow me."
"Yes… Lord Forcystus…" Lloyd murmured, quickly catching up as the Desian walked away. He was silently pleased with himself for managing to get a little more out of him. He just had to keep trying and maybe Forcystus would actually tell him something… And then he would have blackmail. And with blackmail, he could get Forcystus to put a chip in him, and with that he would have all he needed to escape. His Sorcerer's Ring could take care of the locked doors, and the guards were under instructions to leave him alone. And once he was close enough to the exit, he could find one of Forcystus' machines and turn his ring back, and then he'd be able to stop any of the guards that hindered him…
"Keep up," Forcystus snapped from in front, and Lloyd caught up with him quickly. He had to play the goody-goody again. He had to fool the Desian into thinking he trusted him. He'd made a mistake and got too angry earlier on, and he'd got beaten for it… and that was not an experience he wanted repeated. He was now extremely grateful for Forcystus' ban of breaking things and magic the first time. He just hoped the ban would hold in future, because he didn't particularly relish the thought of feeling like a broken toy again. Even getting information out of Forcystus wasn't worth that.
Forcystus took Lloyd out of the main building and out into the yard of the Ranch. Lloyd was surprised at just how small the building he'd been kept in was compared to the rest of the Ranch. Perhaps the building was bigger underground? "This way," Forcystus snapped, and Lloyd quickly caught up to him. "Don't walk level to me," he told him. "Keep just behind." Lloyd frowned.
"Why? Um, Lord Forcystus," Lloyd asked. Forcystus sighed irritably.
"Because you are a human, because I run this Ranch, and because anyone who walks level with me is my equal. Which you are most definitely not. Understood?" Lloyd sighed.
"…Yes, Lord Forcystus…" He murmured, falling behind him slightly. Forcystus nodded.
"Good," he replied. "Now. I want some guards! Now! Here!" He yelled, and about six guards materialised instantly.
"Here, Lord Forcystus!" They chorused, and Forcystus noticed their eyes travel to his cannon-less arm. He hadn't put it back on after his angry exit from the training room…
"Now then. I trust the inferiors are behaving?" He asked.
Inferiors? Lloyd thought, unable to pluck up the courage to protest aloud. The guards nodded.
"Yes, my Lord," one replied. "We've had no incidents today like…" He trailed off and shook his head. "I reckon you scared some sense into them, sir." Forcystus shrugged.
"Very well. If there is any trouble today, I will be very unhappy," he informed them. They all glanced at Lloyd.
"What do you wish us to do with this inferior being, sir?" One asked. Forcystus shook his head.
"I am dealing with him. L025 is… The special prisoner." The guards all looked slightly more nervous at that, and two of them actually backed away slightly. "And he will not be troubled by any of the guards, understood? If any harm comes to him it will not just be me you answer to." The guards all nodded instantly.
"Yes, Lord Forcystus! You will not be troubled, Lord Forcystus!" They promised.
"Good. Dismissed," Forcystus replied, and all six saluted and walked off, as quickly as possible. Forcystus made an irritated noise. "…Such incompetence," he murmured. "Come, Lloyd. I will show you what the other humans of this Ranch have to endure." Lloyd nodded uncertainly, walking just behind him and wondering if it was as bad as the beating he had just received for daring to lay a blow on a Grand Cardinal.
Lloyd gasped aloud when they got within the Ranch proper. He had seen the humans of the Ranch having to push stupidly heavy blocks around when he had spied on the Ranch with Genis, but the conditions within the mesh were even harsher. Within the centre of the Ranch was a large open courtyard, where the humans were being forced to work. They didn't even look up as Forcystus walked past with Lloyd, except for one woman, who made a noise very similar to Forcystus' tch upon seeing Lloyd. Forcystus paused.
"Lord Forcystus…" Lloyd started, afraid he was going to hurt her. Forcystus gave him a warning glance.
"H045," he demanded. She looked up from her work and stood up straight. "Have you some problem, inferior, that you will give the Lord of the Ranch looks?" He demanded. The others around her backed away slightly, clearly afraid despite the still-calm tone. H045 looked up at him, then at Lloyd.
"…No, my Lord," she murmured eventually. "Please forgive my transgression, my Lord." Forcystus frowned, and Lloyd looked at him in appeal.
"Somehow, I highly doubt that," he decided, and Lloyd's look turned frantic. "This is the fourth time this week you have violated Ranch protocol. I have no option but to ensure that this does not happen again. Guards!"
"Lord Forcystus!" Lloyd protested softly. Forcystus looked down at him.
"Lloyd, shut up," he told him. H045 looked at him, a derogatory look on her face. The guards Forcystus had called for appeared then. "H045 is causing trouble again," he told them nonchalantly. "Teach her not to." The guards nodded and two of them forcefully grabbed her. She didn't struggle.
"…Desian filth," she spat at Lloyd, who looked shocked.
"Wh… What?" He murmured. Forcystus' gaze hardened.
"You are asking to be punished," he told her. "If I hear one more sound out of you, you will be sorry. Understood?" H045 looked him straight in the eye, and said nothing. Forcystus made an angry noise. "Deal with her," he told the guards, and they nodded and dragged her away. "Get working!" Forcystus yelled at the other humans there, and they all quickly resumed their toil.
"She… She didn't do anything…" Lloyd murmured weakly, knowing full well what sort of lesson she was going to be taught.
"She called you filth," Forcystus remarked absently. "And also I, if I am not mistaken. Desian covers quite a wide range, no?" He looked down at Lloyd.
"Sh-she wasn't talking to me! I'm human!" Lloyd protested. "Ah, um, Lord Forcystus!" Several of the humans working nearby looked up as Forcystus struck Lloyd across the face, making him stagger backwards. The noise of the hit rang out across the courtyard.
"Don't talk back to me," he hissed. "Ever." Lloyd looked up, one hand on his face, shocked. He had instantly gone for his swords, only to discover they weren't there.
"…Yes, Lord Forcystus," he murmured, betrayal evident in his eyes. He saw guilt in Forcystus' face, if only for a moment.
"Come. Now," he ordered, walking on, and Lloyd caught up. Several people threw him jealous glances, which he didn't understand. He was a prisoner too, he had just been hit! So why… Did they envy him…?
"L-lord Forcystus! Where are we going?" Lloyd asked after catching up to the Desian for what seemed like the hundredth time.
"You will know when we get there," he replied simply, not looking back. Lloyd made an irritated noise, rubbing his still-sore cheek. Forcystus certainly had a powerful hit on him.
That woman was beaten for less than I've done, he realised. Why is Forcystus so lenient with me? A beating won't kill me, even if it hurts. Why does he try to… To protect me? But then he doesn't… Forcystus paused at a door to tap in a code, and Lloyd stopped not-quite-level with him. He didn't look up from the panel.
"Harriet," he murmured softly.
"Ah… What?" Lloyd asked. "Er, Lord Forcystus." Forcystus sighed. He was so lax.
"H045. Harriet," he elaborated, then refused to say anything more. Lloyd gave him a funny look. He had been wanting to know her name, true, but why had Forcystus just told him out of the blue like that? "Here." The door slid open. "This is the Exsphere processing plant. Don't run out. That would be worse than standing and watching, believe me." He walked forwards into the room, Lloyd following, confused.
The plant was a large room, which seemed to Lloyd to be the size of a whole building, although he knew it must fit inside the one they had just entered. There was the noise of machinery working constantly in the background, and the sound of Desians shouting to one another across the room. Forcystus walked forwards silently, Lloyd following. They were on a suspended walkway, and, looking over the side, Lloyd could see the main plant below. There were a lot of conveyor belts, and Lloyd felt slightly sick as he remembered what Forcystus had said about the Ranch.
"An Exsphere is made by fusing the basic stone with a human and allowing it to feed off the mana within that body. Once the Exsphere is complete, it unleashes, and we harvest them."
Harvest.
This was how they did it! This was… This was a…
"A slaughterhouse," Lloyd whispered, horrified. Forcystus looked back at him and grabbed his arm. "No, no! Get off me! Let me go!" Lloyd protested, but Forcystus pulled him towards him and put a hand over his mouth. Lloyd struggled violently.
"One, you didn't use my title," Forcystus whispered. "In a place so full of Desians, that is an extremely bad idea. Two, don't struggle. Nothing bad will happen to you. Three, you have known we do this for a while now." Lloyd struggled under his hand, trying to speak. "Be quiet," Forcystus cautioned him, removing his hand.
"You can't-" Lloyd started loudly, but Forcystus shushed him. "You… You can't expect me to feel nothing," he continued more softly. "…Desian Lord Forcystus." Forcystus nodded.
"Just remember what I said," he told him softly. "Lloyd, you are not safe out here. You are human; any half-elf could smell your mana signature from a mile you run away… Even just from this room, here, away from me… You will regret it." Lloyd frowned, looking dubious and untrusting. "Run away, then!" Forcystus spat, although his voice was hushed. "See what happens to a human, alone in a Ranch!" Lloyd shivered. "See? Now come with me," Forcystus ordered, and Lloyd hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded dejectedly. He followed as Forcystus led him down to the lower level, to where the sound of Desian voices were coming from.
"Lord Forcystus! Is something wrong, my Lord?" The head Desian asked when he approached.
"No, just checking the Ranch," Forcystus replied. "Continue your duties." The Desian gave Lloyd a strange look.
"Sir, the inferior being…" He started, but Forcystus shook his head.
"L025 is with me," he replied. "He is the special human." Lloyd shook his head irritably. Man, was he tired of hearing that. The Desian nodded.
"As you wish, sir. Keep working, you lazy maggots! Do not disappoint our Cardinal!" He shouted, walking away.
"Special, Lord Forcystus?" Lloyd murmured, but Forcystus shook his head almost imperceptively. No questions. Not here.
"…This is the machine that turns the human host into the completed Exsphere," Forcystus murmured once they reached one large machine. "It extracts and compresses the host's mana and channels it into the Exsphere. However, this process only works once the Exsphere has reached a certain level of maturity, so only humans whose Exsphere have been implanted for a certain level of time can be processed. It's currently on downtime." Lloyd reached out and touched the cold metal. It was harsh, unforgiving, bland and lifeless as the gems it created. Lloyd looked at his own Exsphere, feeling sick. His mother hadn't been put through one of these… But she had been killed for this. For one little gem? What was so special about it? Special… The special human…
"What's different about mine, Lord Forcystus?" He asked. "You don't chase every Ranch escapee for their Exspheres, surely?" For a fraction of a second, a look of disgust crossed the Cardinal's face.
"…Hers was… Kvar's," he replied eventually. "Kvar does not like the word 'escape' to exist in his vocabulary. That Exsphere, however, is more than usual. Well, he hopes it is. It was part of an experiment your mother was involved in… The 'Angelus project'."
"Angelus?" Lloyd repeated. Forcystus shrugged.
"It wasn't my project," he replied. "Come on. We haven't all day." Lloyd, with so many questions in his head begging to be asked, eventually followed Forcystus in silence. This place was not the place to ask them.
"I shall show you the living quarters for the humans," Forcystus told him as they exited the Plant room. Lloyd took a deep breath, thinking that the air was cleaner outside of that room. Forcystus watched him, a strange look on his face. "What?" He asked.
"…The smell… In that room… I was trying to get rid of it… Lord Forcystus," Lloyd replied. Forcystus made a small noise of acknowledgement and walked on.
"Come on," he called, and Lloyd ran to catch up. He moved so fast! He knew it couldn't just be the Exsphere, since he had one of his own, and Forcystus had even said that it was different… The special human.
Is it just my Exsphere? No, but it can't be… They wouldn't have kept me alive then, they would have just killed me and taken it. And there is such contempt in Forcystus' voice when he speaks of Kvar… Lloyd shook his head. It made no sense! Desians were very complicated…
"Lord Forcystus! Lord Forcystus!" A Desian called, and Forcystus turned as a messenger ran up and saluted, panting quite hard.
"What is it, soldier?" He asked. "Get your breath." The Desian stood there for about a second, trying to catch his breath.
"Ah, Sir, there was a message from Lord Yggdrasill over the holograph!" He said as quickly as he could. "Lord Roy took a recording for you, milord." Lloyd frowned. For just a fraction of a second, had he seen… Fear in Forcystus' eyes?
"I shall deal with it presently. Return to your post," Forcystus told the Desian, who saluted again and ran off. "Lord Yggdrasill…" He murmured. "Very well, Lloyd. It seems your tour ends here. I shall return you to your cell."
"Can't I see the message?" He asked. Forcystus looked at him carefully until he added the "Lord Forcystus" meekly on the end.
"No," he replied. "This is official Desian business. You are a prisoner. You have nothing to do with our affairs and certainly shouldn't be listening to confidential messages. Now come. We are returning." Lloyd nodded, downcast. He really was nothing…
"Don't even think about it," he told Lloyd as he locked the cell. "There are security fields between here and the control room. You won't manage it." Lloyd gave him a strange look.
"I wasn't gonna try," he replied, seemingly honest.
"Tch. I highly doubt that," Forcystus replied, walking away. Lloyd waited until even the sound of his footsteps had faded and he was in total silence before getting up and going over to the door. He inched his hand out through the bars and tapped on the keys for a while, and eventually he got the door to open. He had watched Forcystus carefully when the door was locked and had copied his movements exactly. He was lucky – Forcystus had typed in a password.
Once the door was open, Lloyd examined the keyboard to find out what the password he'd just typed was, and frowned when he worked out 'Lloyd Aurion'. Aurion?
Maybe it's a two-part code? He wondered. My name, then the name of that Lord guy who wanted me kept alive? Yeah, that'll be it… Pleased with his deduction, Lloyd made his way along the corridor. He was fairly certain of the route, he had committed himself to memorising all the different routes Forcystus and the guards the Cardinal had assigned to him had taken him down, and he had a fairly complete mental map of the Ranch in his head. There were some areas he hadn't been to – the control room included – but he was reasonably confident of his ability to fill in the gaps. After all, if it was the centre of Ranch workings, it couldn't be that hard to get to, could it?
"…Ystus says that it's just Cruxis poking its nose in where it shouldn't be…" He heard Desians talking, and, thinking quickly, hid through the nearest door and listened.
"If it is Lord Yggdrasill's wish, surely we can't argue?" A female voice came. Probably one of the spearmen. Lloyd decided that he didn't have the time to work out all the different things wrong with that thought.
"Cruxis has already made us keep that inferior being that Lord Forcystus treats like a pet. I ask you. If he'd just locked it up in a cell and forgotten about it, he wouldn't have been hurt by it, would he?"
"He wasn't that badly hurt, was he?..." The voices faded away again, but Lloyd waited still, his heart pounding.
A pet? He wondered. I'm treated like a pet? I certainly wouldn't treat any pet this way… Once he was fairly confident that the coast was clear, he exited the room, glancing up and down the corridor. No sign of any Desians, at least. Pleased with his evasion, he continued on down the corridor.
Eventually he came to a big, branching corridor. He knew that carrying straight on would take him out of this building and out into the outside portion of the Ranch, because Forcystus had taken him into the building across the path to show him the mana reactor. Left, if his memory served correctly, was a guard room, amongst other things. Going that way would not be wise. So, without any other options left, Lloyd shrugged and took the right corridor.
He had to Desian-dodge twice more, but didn't learn anything else interesting. In fact, most of the Desians went around silently, as cold as the environment they worked in. He was almost caught the second time, he hadn't been concentrating and didn't hear the footsteps. However, he had managed to duck into a side-room before the guard got close enough to spot him, and he moved carefully after that.
He did eventually reach the control room, and he stayed outside for a while and listened.
"…Don't let the rest of the Ranch know, Roy," Forcystus' voice could be heard. "It'll only cause unnecessary worry. I'll keep a closer eye on the boy is all."
"Are you sure that's wise, Lord Forcystus? At the very least have him chipped…" Lloyd crossed his fingers. If Forcystus agreed to that, he was as good as free…
"No, Roy, and that is final," Forcystus snapped, and Lloyd sighed inwardly. "He'll be out of here like a shot if I do. The security fields are all that are keeping him in! He's as wilful as his mother was." Lloyd's heart skipped a beat at the mention of his mother. "And I will not run the risk of Kvar discovering him. If he finds out, the boy will be dead faster than… Than a Tethe'allan half-elf criminal." Roy chuckled under his breath.
"Perhaps, Sir, but he is in more danger than you think simply because of his wilfulness. If he takes it into his head to go wandering…"
"He promised me he'd stay put."
"And you believed him? Sir, pardon me for saying so, but more fool you, then." Forcystus growled under his breath.
"I don't need this from you, Roy! I've enough to deal with concerning the boy and Lord Yggdrasill! Clearly Lord Aurion didn't think to inform him that we're holding him!" Lloyd smiled slightly. His theory had been right! The one who had ordered he be kept alive was called Aurion. "And if Cruxis investigate and find him…" There was a brief silence. "Either way, I am not going back to Derris-Kharlan. Not for anything. So do as I say and keep things quiet, understood?"
"As you wish, my Lord." There was an irritated sigh from Forcystus, and Lloyd could just picture him running one hand through his hair in frustration. "I suppose I'd better go and retrieve my weapon before some irresponsible underling walks off with it. You can have a break for now, Roy. I'll be back in a few minutes to take care of things here." Lloyd frantically looked around for a hiding place, and dodged behind a pillar as Forcystus emerged from the room. "…Cruxis," he muttered, shaking his head. "I'd rather be Desian." Roy followed him out, and Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief as they went in the opposite direction. Seizing his chance, Lloyd ducked into the control room, and was confronted with a rather large array of computers and projectors.
Alright… Task one… Work out how to operate these things… Lloyd decided, heading for the centre device. It had 'no current message' hovering in the air above it, so Lloyd deduced that this was the holographmawhatsit that the Desian had talked about. Alright… I'll just press buttons and hope… He decided, and set to work doing just that. After half a minute of nothing, he eventually got a 'replay last message (yes/no)?' in the air, and cheered inwardly, hitting the big green button which he had managed to deduce was some sort of go button. The holograph projector went blank for a few seconds, making Lloyd worry that perhaps he had broken something, but eventually a half-elf in very shiny and… well-fitting white clothes appeared above the device. He had long blonde hair and green eyes, and looked creepily familiar, although Lloyd couldn't work out where from.
"Forcystus," he spoke, and his voice chilled Lloyd to the core. He had never heard a more threatening tone, not even from the angry Cardinal. "I hope you receive this message promptly, or you may find yourself regretting it."
"Leave Forcystus alone, you creep," Lloyd muttered, glancing around the room. One thing he was trying to ignore about the half-elf on screen was the strange purple projections that seemed to spring from nowhere on his hands. They were moving.
"I have heard strange reports about the Exsphere traces on this Ranch," Yggdrasill continued as Lloyd fiddled with the buttons on a nearby console. "More specifically, about life sign signals. I have been given reports of angelic signatures from your Ranch." Lloyd looked up then.
Angels? In a Ranch? He thought. Ridiculous! The Desians…
"I can assure you that Cruxis will be looking into this," Yggdrasill continued. "If it is found that you have been breaching the rules, there will be a heavy price to pay. I am certain I do not have to tell you what it is."
I'd quite like to know, though, Lloyd thought, disappointed. The man on-screen laughed coldly.
"And of course, if my time is being wasted, then there will be punishment for the time-wasters. Keep up the good work… Forcystus." With another cold laugh, the man disappeared, and the words 'delete (yes/no)?' appeared on the screen. Lloyd pressed the right arrow button and hit the green button, and the 'no current message' appeared once more. Lloyd hit a few buttons on the console he was at and the words 'Ranch records' appeared. Interested, Lloyd hit the enter button and was disappointed to see a password message. He was even more disappointed to find that the password to his cell didn't work, not that he had really expected it to. So, he turned his thoughts to the sorts of things Forcystus tended to say, hoping they would offer a clue… And then wondered if this sort of things was meant to be accessible by all Desians, so perhaps the password was a generic sort of thing.
Lloyd hit the jackpot with 'Iselia Ranch'. He was quite irritated that it had taken him that long to try something so generic.
'View records
Search
Escape record' was the option screen presented to him. Intrigued, Lloyd selected 'escape record' and hit the big green button, which seemed to be a standard thankfully. A list of numbers – a very short list – was displayed, with a date by each one. Lloyd looked down the list for any from 14 years ago, but found none, so looked back 17 years. He saw a number that was vaguely familiar – A012 – listed under 18 years ago, so he selected that.
'Display picture (yes/no)?' the computer asked him, and Lloyd selected 'yes'. A holograph of the woman he presumed was his mother appeared on the screen, and details started to list themselves down the screen. 'Designation: A012. Human name: Anna Irving. Date of escape: …'
"Lloyd! What are you doing? You stupid human!" Lloyd froze at the sound of Forcystus' voice. Had he lost track of the time? Before he knew it he was being prised away from the computer and Forcystus was shutting down the records, glancing occasionally at the holograph display in the centre of the room. Lloyd scrabbled backwards slightly, afraid.
"I-I'm sorry, Lord Forcystus…" He murmured, hoping his tone was sufficiently meek. Forcystus swore under his breath.
"How you learned to hack with no computing skills I will never know," he murmured.
"…I just put random words in…" He admitted. Forcystus swore again.
"Lloyd," he started, turning and hauling the boy to his feet. "What did you see?" Lloyd swallowed, deciding that mentioning the message would not be a good idea in his current position.
"I… I just opened that… File… I've heard you say the number when you were talking about my mother, so I…" He stammered out.
"You didn't read it?" Forcystus asked, his grip on Lloyd tightening.
"N-no, Lord Forcystus, y-you didn't give me a chance…" He mumbled. Forcystus made a relieved noise and released him.
"Thank the tree," he murmured.
"Tree?" Lloyd repeated in confusion as Forcystus tapped a few keys on the monitor and restored the screen to how it had been before Lloyd had experimented. He then went over to the holograph and brought up a menu, with only a few button presses. Lloyd watched enviously as he proceeded to erase the memory bank with minimal effort.
"You are in serious trouble," he muttered. "Not only did you break out of your cell, you somehow managed to evade the security fields and get all the way down here, and access confidential documents. You are lucky that is all you did!" He turned around. "Just so you know, we had an unexplained power surge which temporarily disabled the fields. You wouldn't have been able to get back to your cell, so no matter what you would have been caught." Lloyd winced.
"I-I'm sorry Lord Forcystus, it won't happen again, I swear," he stammered, hoping he wouldn't be beaten. Forcystus growled a new selection of curses under his breath.
"The thing is, Lloyd, it will," Forcystus murmured. "Gah, I can't let this go unpunished! Not when you were looking at confidential files! It just goes against all Ranch protocol, and I can't afford…" He shook his head. "I have an appearance to keep up." Lloyd noticed the way he fiddled with a bangle-like thing on his right arm, pushing it as far up his arm as it would go. "But, seeing how careless they were last time…" He grabbed Lloyd unexpectedly and took out his Exsphere.
"No! Give that back! GIVE THAT BACK!" Lloyd yelled, struggling in the Desian's strong grip.
"Lloyd!" Forcystus admonished, but the boy kept struggling, enraged.
"That was my mother's! She died for that! I won't let you have it, I won't!" He yelled. Forcystus twisted his arm behind his back, making him yell out in pain.
"You will get it back," he promised. "Just wait, alright? Wait a little while. I swear on my honour that this will be returned to you."
"You don't have any honour, Desian!" Lloyd yelled, twisting in his grip.
"Lloyd! Watch your tongue!" Forcystus warned. "I have plenty of honour! I am… A hero amongst half-elves, I'll have you know. I saved innocents from being slaughtered. By humans! It is not just us who are the filth, you know! What would you rather I swore on?"
"Your life," Lloyd replied, his voice low and dangerous. Forcystus nodded.
"Very well. I swear on my life that this will be returned to you, Lloyd Irving." Lloyd jerked once more, then fell still, defeated.
"…Why?" He murmured. Forcystus laughed softly.
"Because they might break it, and it's valuable," he replied. "GUARDS!" Lloyd started to breathe deeply, trying to calm his racing heart. It was even worse when he knew for certain what would happen to him, and he was so scared… Scared of the pain. He hadn't meant any harm…
I wish I hadn't stood up for him now, even if it meant nothing… He thought bitterly.
A/N - Lloyd isn't very good at staying in Forcystus' good books, is he? XD Early update because I'm off to Manchester soon. I have a Uni interview! Yayz!